Mayor wants answers after stadium cost hits £752m

The cost of removing and reinstalling seats at the London Stadium could cost £8 million a yearPA

London mayor Sadiq Khan has ordered an investigation into the soaring cost of West Ham’s London Stadium after being informed that a further £51 million will be added to the bill for converting the arena for football.

Estimates put the cost of removing “retractable” seats at the end of the season and reinstalling them for the next campaign at £8 million a year — 27 times the £300,000 that was budgeted for. The extra £51 million would mean the conversion cost would rise from £272 million to £323 million, and the cost of the stadium to £752 million. Under the terms of their lease, however, West Ham would still only have to contribute £15 million.

Deputy mayor Jules Pipe told Sky News that they had…

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